On May 26, 2009, Microsoft officially announced plans to release a touch-screen version of the Zune portable media player, intended to compete with Apple's iPod Touch. The new device is called the Zune HD, and offers several features not found on the iPod Touch, including an OLED display, HD radio, and high-definition video playback (using an optional dock accessory). Long-standing Zune features, such as a photo viewer, games, podcast management, and Zune Pass music subscription integration, will continue to be supported, as well.
The Zune HD will go on sale September 15, offered in 16GB and 32GB models, priced at $219 and $289, respectively. Both models will be available in stores with either black or platinum finishes. As with previous generations of the portable media player, additional color and customization options will be available at launch directly from Microsoft's Zune Originals online storefront.
The Zune HD will be the first Zune to include an Internet Explorer Web browser, complementing its other Wi-Fi features (song sharing, Channel streaming, and Zune Marketplace browsing). The Zune HD's browser is optimized for the touch screen with an onscreen keyboard, but there's no word on whether it will be capable of streaming Flash media (used by sites such as YouTube and Pandora), a capability that is currently lacking in the Safari browser for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
The Zune HD isn't the first MP3 player to offer a 3.3-inch touch-screen OLED display or high-definition video output, but it is one of the first portable audio devices to integrate an HD radio tuner. Beyond the added fidelity of HD radio, the format also lends itself well to transmitting artist and song data, which is useful for the Zune's existing FM radio song-tagging and download feature.
Microsoft rates the Zune HD's battery life at 33 hours of music playback and 8.5 hours of video (with Wi-Fi deactivated). If these numbers are accurate, they represent a considerable improvement over previous generations of Zune hardware, which were often criticized for poor battery performance.
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